Concord Times (Freetown)
Rachel Horner
18 June 2009
Concord — District medical officer, Western Area, Dr. Samuel Smith has said that the Rokupa Government Hospital at Wellington now offers free delivery services to all pregnant women.
The disclosure was made at a ten-day training workshop organized in Freetown by the ministry of health and sanitation in collaboration with UNICEF to train and equip peripheral health unit and hospital staff ahead of the update of essential package of health interventions at community and household levels.
Addressing participants, Dr. Smith lauded the hospital care manager Dr. Alhaji Turay, his management team and committee for the initiative to provide Free Delivery Services to pregnant women in their hospital.
He noted the sacrifices made, adding that if others followed the trend, the country's maternal death would be drastically reduced.
Dr. Smith told the meeting that plans are currently under way to provide incentives for the Maternity Staff as a token of appreciation to complement the effort and sacrifices made, hoping that the Lumley hospital would also follow the trend.
Dilating on the Training objectives, Dr, Smith said it would help increase community involvement and ownership in the delivery of their own health services, as well as generating relevant inputs and total involvement of all participants with a view to achieving the desired objectives of the workshop.
Making his statement, the Director, Reproductive and Child Health Programme, Dr. Samuel Kargbo said although a recent Demographic Health Survey now indicate a reduction in the country's maternal and infant mortality rate, yet more has to be done if the country is to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.
He told the workshop that government is poised to provide the necessary equipment and personnel in all peripheral health facilities and hospitals to functionally operate on a 24 hours service.
Dr. Kargbo said capacity building to upgrade the Maternal and Child Health Aides would positively make them Skilled Attendants to facilitate Basic Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care at peripheral level, and encourage participants to make good use of the training opportunity during the ten days exercise.
He spoke on patient's care, Nurse and Patient relationship, and advocated to Councilors, Paramount Chiefs and Communities to institute By Laws that would help complement government's efforts to reduce maternal and newborn mortality in the country.
The Unicef Nutrition Specialist, Dr. Abu Pratt told participants that the Ministry and partners are now collaborating effectively with the articulation of services that would impact well on child survival and preventable deaths.
He dilated on evidence-based interventions and home based management of certain diseases as well as the need for the training of more health personnel dealing with maternal and child health.
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